How Microsoft loses customers

This is not a rant about Microsoft patching, QC, pricing or licensing. This is a simple business article about how Microsoft’s core technology is not living up to customers expectations and leads to both lack of satisfaction, lack of future sales and lack of loyalty to the product and the platform.

Everyone has Windows on their desktop, they are prehaps not even aware of what it is or if they are it’s unlikely that they know whether its Vista or XP. One thing they are aware of is how they get their email – they all know Outlook. And Outlook 2007.. isn’t cutting it. It’s Thursday and my helpdesk is swamped with issues like these:

Why did it not close properly? Because Vista automatically updated and shut off the computer without waiting for Outlook to properly close. Thats a big bug in the product, don’t you think?

But what infuriates the user is that they are effectively unable to work now, because as soon as the message above fades away, Outlook stops responding:

Oh, and does it ever stay there.

At this point the “information worker” is sitting there, staring at the screen. They go for a smoke / coffee break. Their boss asks why they aren’t working. The client asks if they received their email (“No, we upgraded 2007”). Everyone in the entire chain becomes affected.

The Solution

Don’t be so locked down to your client. If you are on Outlook 2007 chances are there is an Exchange 2007 or Exchange 2003 server somewhere in your organization, running Outlook Web Access.

For example,

Exchange 2007: https://scrooge.exchangedefender.com/owa

Exchange 2003: https://daisy.theofficeserver.com/exchange

Can’t wait for Outlook – pop up Internet Explorer and navigate to those links. If you’re lucky enough to have Exchange 2007 the experience is amazing, almost Outlook-like, sans the 2 hour rebuild process.

Don’t have that? How about a Pocket PC? Blackberry? Spare computer? Terminal server?

My arsenal includes:

Exchange 2007 at the core

Outlook Web Access 2007

Pocket PC: T-Mobile MDA (Windows Mobile 6 Professional)

SmartPhone: T-Mobile SDA (Windows Mobile 5)

Corporate Terminal Server

Second profile on the same PC with Outlook not in Cached mode.

The last part is quite important because it can work for you SOHO / mobile users, Google for fast user switching.

The Problem

This is unfortunately a problem that comes after the solution: Microsoft software is percieved as “not good enough” for corporate use. Scroll up, not only is the customer unhappy but s/he is telling their customer that they are unhappy with the upgrade to 2007.

Yes, there are plenty of contingencies.

Sadly, Microsoft doesn’t sell contingencies. Microsoft sells productivity and features. And when those features and productivity are negated by a product that doesn’t live up to the customers expectations… well. You don’t have a customer anymore.

What is particularly frustrating here is that Microsoft is building on top of Outlook, a product that only I seem to be happy with. Yesterday I chatted to a partner of ours, she had waited 1.5 hours for Outlook to start up – and was talking to me instead of working. Perhaps I should also note that her primary responsibility is selling Microsoft as well.

Microsoft ought to be afraid of Linux and Apple. But Microsoft ought to be more afraid of itself – for years I’ve heard Microsoft sales drones discard Linux as “We are our biggest obstacle, our products are seen as good enough so people won’t upgrade.” – I’m afraid to say that way of thinking needs to change. We’re not dealing with people that resist change, we’re talking about the customers that embraced new products, upgraded and are not seeing quality in Microsoft releases:

“Our customers are not happy with our products and are seeking alternatives.”